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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. band — a music group
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fine — all right
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tear — from crying
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rock — a stone
  21. band — a ring
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com